THE PACK STATION BLOG

Have you ever been to Mule Days in Bishop, California? If not, it’s a ‘not to miss’ event for all. Not just for mule fans, but also for anyone who enjoys a bit of rural Americana, good clean family fun, and a celebration worthy of one of the most humble and unassuming animals ever created, the Mule!

Held over the week of Memorial Day weekend, Mule Days is celebrating its 48th year in 2017 and we are as excited as ever. To kick off the countdown, we’re sharing this photo of one of our best lead mules ever, “Babe.” This photo from the 2012 event shows us in “Packers Choice,” an obstacle course set up for strings of 5 mules led by a packer on a saddle horse (or mule!). In this event, Babe was supposed to cross an obstacle set up to look like water. However she was having nothing to do with it, until with a bit of trust in her lead packer, she thought she would take a step on over. The rest of the mule string followed. While a bit of fun was being had, it truly demonstrates the harmony and trust that develops between a packer and a mule, a lead mule and the rest of the string. This is a glimpse of how packers and pack mules transport pack trip guests and their gear into the high country – safely and efficiently. Just a bit of the unseen talents and poetry that go into making a backcountry packing experience.

(For more about Babe, see the May 2012 issue of Western Mule Magazine!)